krystlethegreat's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Good series starter.
I would have loved more magic!! More sisterly bonding. Just... more. A lot of it felt very surface level, so I'm hoping book 2 digs deeper!
I would have loved more magic!! More sisterly bonding. Just... more. A lot of it felt very surface level, so I'm hoping book 2 digs deeper!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
readwithsophsx's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, and Death of parent
nicole12's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent and War
kbairbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Wow!!! That was so fun! That was SO FUN! What a blast! The magic, the political intrigue, the long lost twin, the surprise, the emotion! Wow this was great! I will say there really wasn’t any diversity in this book at all so for that I’m dropping it half a star but the plot was fun and the characters were really well fleshed out and I loved the two narrators for the different princesses!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Violence, War, Confinement, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Classism, Death, Gore, Alcohol, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
bookish_paws's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Emotional abuse, Murder, and Grief
Minor: Kidnapping, Animal death, Blood, Death, and Death of parent
emmiej's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, and War
martamae77's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: War
kaziaroo's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This was fun to read, with likeable characters and quite an predictable yet enjoyable plot. I recommend it to fans of the Lunar Chronicles as it has a similar style, and The Priory of the Orange Tree for the theme of re-examining history (and another queer-normative world!). The clichés and unoriginality made for quite a relaxing read, although I wasn't always a fan of the romance (why did the characters' attraction to each other make them forget everything important and throw caution to the wind?) – I suspect that's a case of me no longer being in the target age range, however :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Gaslighting, Grief, Alcohol, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Murder
Moderate: War and Death of parent
Minor: Acephobia/Arophobia, Sexual content, and Torture
renettereads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Separated at birth, two girls grow up leading very different lives. Rose, who remained at the palace, is preparing for her coronation whilst her closest advisor continues to plot against the witches. Unbeknownst to her, her twin sister, Wren, is one of the witches of Ortha planning to usurp the throne and take back what is theirs.
I didn’t know what to expect going into this book, but it certainly wasn’t for it to be such a fun, adventurous and lighthearted read.500 pages felt like nothing and I sped through this book pretty quickly. Surprisingly though, despite the gripping nature of the parent-trap-style plot, it was the characters that won me over. We have a very prim princess, a bit of a scoundrel and a witch, a character who gave me ALL the Matthias Helvar vibes, and a really cocky but sweet character who all jelled and contributed to incredible chemistry throughout this book.
There were silly, laugh-out-loud moments in this that offered relief in what was otherwise quite action-packed and pacy story. This is a great book to pick up between darker/heavier books. The ending is tied up nicely – as in no cliffhanger – but it does leave you with some questions going into book 2. Overall a really fun reading experience.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent, War, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
kirstym25's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Murder
Moderate: War, Blood, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Animal cruelty